butteredgoblin

[butteredgoblin]

[butteredgoblin]

sad moon still shines, sara hagale

[butteredgoblin]

Hecate

[butteredgoblin]

Pink Footed Crescent Moon - Lara Cobden , 2023.

British , b. 1971 -

Ink on gessoed watercolour paper , 31 x 23 cm.

[butteredgoblin]

★ Hekate's Deipnon ★

WHAT IS HEKATE'S DEIPNON?

Hekate's Deipnon (or Hekate's Supper), at its most basic, is described as a religious offering meal given to Hekate and the restless dead once every lunar month on the new moon.

However, there is more to the event than just that. The Deipnon itself contains about two events; the ritual purification (Oxuthumia) and the actual supper (Deipnon). As well as this, many modern polytheists will also do a physical cleaning of the house and ending things that were started the previous month (such as paying off bills, finishing projects, etc.).

OXUTHUMIA

Oxuthumia is the ritual purification of the home before the actual Deipnon.

This purification can include;

cleansing via smoke/incense

sweeping the home

physical cleaning and decluttering

cleaning of any altars/shrines

Many like to include house sweepings in the main offering for the Deipnon, so be sure to save them for that if you want!

THE DEIPNON

The Deipnon itself is the act of giving offerings to Hekate and the restless dead, usually at the crossroads, on the night of the new moon.

Traditionally this was done at some form of crossroads, but if you cannot do this outside for any reason, the offering can be left at the altar.

Usually, the offering consists of:

garlic or leek

a liquid libation, whether wine, honey, water, etc.

eggs

house sweepings (from the Oxuthumia)

You may be wondering, who are the restless dead?

The restless dead are essentially people who have died and not received a proper burial, died violently, or died prematurely. These are what you may see be called 'ghosts'.

One superstition about the Deipnon is, "once you give the offerings at the crossroads, walk back home and don't look back or you may see the restless dead, giving you bad luck". (unfortunately I cant find where I read this, so please take it with a grain of salt).

OTHER WAYS TO CELEBRATE

paying off all bills that need paying

paying off other debts, financial or otherwise

giving thanks or offerings to deities you forgot to during the past month

finishing projects

cleaning or other housework

writing out thank you cards, notes, etc.

getting rid of things no longer needed/wanted

emptying your Kathistkos, if you have one.

EXTRAS

Orphic Hymn to Hekate

translation by Apostolos N. Athanassakis, Benjamin M. Wolkow

Lovely Hekate of the roads and of the crossroads I invoke. In heaven, on earth, then is sea, saffron-cloaked, tomb spirit reveling in the souls of the dead, daughter of Perses, haunting deserted places delighting in deer, nocturnal, dog-loving, monstrous queen, devouring wild beasts, ungirt and repulsive. Herder of bulls, queen and mistress of the whole world, leader, nymph, mountain-roaming nurturer of youths, maiden, I beseech you to come to these holy rites, ever with joyous heart, ever favoring the oxherd.

SOURCES

Circle for Hekate - Volume I by Sorita D'Este

Hekate: Her Sacred Fires by Sorita d’Este, Raven Digitalis, Vikki Bramshaw

Hekate Liminal Rites by Sorita d’Este, David Rankine

[butteredgoblin]

I am shrouded in an impenetrable darkness, I see no way out. a faint flicker of flame catches my eye, but it seems so far away, is it a mirage? an illusion? my subconscious generating images of resolution to this damage?

Tonight and for the following nights I’m going to meditate with My Goddess. embrace what brings out this fear and walk with Her light. find the truth in the glimmer of hope, use my power and energy guided by Her hand to light my torch, and brandish it as my courage, guide and love.

I am safe, protected and on the right path. I move towards my true potential through hardships and pain. Illusions and abnormalities. I will find what I seek, what I desire, what I deserve.

I have faith in myself because of Her.

#I’m in turmoil #witchblr #witchcore #witchcraft #hekate #hecate #paganism #pagan #paganblr #occult practitioner #energy work #deity work #deity worship #deity devotion #misty’s devotional work

[butteredgoblin]

𝐢 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡🕯️🍂🎃

cr. the artists of the photos

[butteredgoblin]

Help us oh Goddess, hear our plea, bring us back to where we need to be.

We are devoted to You, blessed Hecate.

[butteredgoblin]

Beautiful and blessed Goddess Hecate, thank You Mother, for all You do for Your witches.

Ave Hecate, so mote it be.

[butteredgoblin]

Hey, I'm curious, I know Hecate as the Greek goddess of witchcraft or something along those lines. What does she mean to you and how does your worship of her look? If you wanna share ofc.

Ope. You've activated my most dearest special interest. Prepare yourself. Hekate is an ancient Goddess of death, the dead including ghosts and spirits, dogs, horses, liminality, the underworld, boundaries, change/transition - "the crossroads", mothers, children, snakes, labyrinths, cattle/bulls, monsters, sanitation, and, what she's most famous for, magic and witchcraft. But she is much more. The greeks called her a Titaness, but there is evidence that she came before what we know of as Ancient Greece, during the "Greek Dark Ages", where we have little surviving record. She is possibly Minoan, Egyptian (I often see her as such), or Anatolian. There is possibilities that she goes further back, as in the Greek Magical Papyri, she is called "Hekate Ereshkigal", which would put her in Sumer thousands of years before Greece. But we're not fully certain. It's difficult when there is little additional context beyond that one off statement on a Curse Tablet. She is the one who found Persephone in the Underworld, and is her personal psychopomp (those who bring spirits between the world and the Underworld), who returns her to Demeter for six months a year. She is sometimes syncretized with Persephone and Demeter, though, this is again likely to her role with them and Hades in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which is a Hellenic explanation for the seasons.

She is my patron, something that isn't necessary in Hellenism, but she is the focus of any deity work that I do. I still pray to the other Theoi, but generally, most of my prayers, workings, and such are with her. I work with her by having an altar but that isn't necessary. On Deipnon (Greek for supper, and is a monthly "supper" to her and the Restless Dead), I set out sweet cakes, pomegranate juice (underworld), food I have cooked, and even sweepings from the house. In Athens, they used to do this on every Dark Moon (what we call the New Moon, but the New Moon is really the first sliver of light), they would sweep their home, gather all left overs, and leave them at an altar at their door, as their door and the road formed a three-way crossroads. Now, I just set it at my altar in my home. If you wish to use a crossroads, make sure to leave things that do not harm the environment, won't piss off local spirits, and don't look back when you leave. This also made her a sanitation goddess, Hekate Borborophorba, "Hekate Filth-Eater". It was also where you took dead things, blood spilled in temples (the Olympians generally do not want blood as it is "miasma" or "polluted". Hekate is a Titans, and the Filth-Eater. She does not care. It is all a sacrifice and offering to her), and trash. Anything that was "polluted", you took to the boundaries (her domain) at the altar where the road meets your door, or the shrine at the three-way crossroads down the way or out of town. As such, I also give her my emotions that I want help with maintaining. Meltdowns. Depressive episodes. Anger. They are not bad, all serve a purpose in the body, spirit, and mind; but to keep them from going out of control, along with therapy, I sometimes talk to her and offer these things to her. It is like talking to a healthy partner or long-term friend. I also like to show her cute dog pictures/doggos that I see. I invoke her in workings, sometimes, calling to her for help with protections or anything, really. I recommend "Circle for Hekate" by Sorita d'Este for some history, "Protection and Reversal Magick" by Jason Miller - but grain of salt, his work is UPG and incorporates some ceremonial magic like Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn/Wicca/Thelema. So, grain of salt. Not historical, but some of it works well and gives a look into protection workings and was written working with her. I also recommend the Greek Magical Papyri. Circle for Hekate will give you a good further ancient reading list. Also these are her many epithets: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/matauryn/2017/07/19/many-epithets-hekate/

There are several hundred. She covers many, many ways, domains, workings, and ideas.

Oh, and she's great for trans people, imo, being a death (transition) goddess who works with the crossroads (transition), liminality (gender is weird), and also being syncretized with Ereshkigal and Mother Cybele both of whom worked with the Gala/Galli (transgender priests and priestesses. People will try to argue but the evidence is pretty fucking clear and the people complaining just don't like us 🤷‍♀️ )

[butteredgoblin]

[butteredgoblin]

November 2023 witch guide

Full moon: November 27th

New moon: November 13th

Sabbats: None

November Beaver Moon

Known as: Digging(or scratching) moon, Deer rutting moon, Frost moon, Whitefish moon, Mourning Moon, Dark moon, Blotmonath, Fog moon, Mad moon, Moon of storms, Herbistmanoth & Freezing moon

Element: Water

Zodiac: Scorpio & Sagittarius

Nature spirits: Subterranean faeries

Deities: Astarte, Bast, Black Isis, Hecate, Kali, Lakshmi, Mawu, Nicnevin, Osiris & Saraswati

Animals: Crocodile, jackal, scorpion & unicorn

Birds: Goose, owl & sparrow

Trees: Alder, cypress & hazel

Herbs: Betony, blessed thistle, borage, cinquefoil, fennel, grains of paradise & verbena

Flowers: Blooming cacti & chrysanthemum

Scents: Cedar, cherry blossom, hyacinth, lemon, narcissus & peppermint

Stones: Beryl, cat's eye, citrine, yellow sapphire, topaz & turquoise

Colors: Blues, grey, sea green & silver

Energy: Deity communication, cooperation, death, divination, focus, passion, healing, preparation, secrets, sex matters, taking root & transformations.

The Beaver Moon gets its name because it is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient food stores for the long winter ahead. During the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts. 

Other celebrations:

• Lunantishees

November 11th

Also known as: The day of the Sidhe

This day celebrates the Lunantishee Faeries & honors the sacred blackthorn tree that they protect. It is said these faeries dance around their host blackthorn tree or bush by the light of the full moon in which they worship. The Lunantishee are closely associated with moonstone as their name of Moon-Sidhe or moon faeries suggest. These faeries are intensely protective guardians who highlight to us the need to protect our homes & our personal energies/ourselves.

In some traditions people would leave offerings like cakes, milk, honey or ale to avert any mischievous behavior from the faeries & if you had a blackthorn tree leave blackthorn blessings upon you.

During this time it is advised to not pick, cut or prune these plants under any circumstances or else misfortune would be placed upon them.

•Night of Hecate

November 16th

Though many choose to honor the Goddess Hecate during this day, there doesn't seem to be any historical evidence suggesting this particular day has any traditional associations or events & likely was mistaken from Hekate's Deipnon which takes place during the dark phase of the moon. However modern practitioners use this day to honor Hekate despite this.

Some celebrate by having a feast filled with wine, mushrooms, bread & more while also leaving some at the threshold of their front door to symbolize the crossroads between indoors and outdoors.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac.com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Llewellyn's 2023 magical almanac: practical magic for everyday living

Wikipedia

[butteredgoblin]

A quick reminder that it is perfectly okay to still go to your tarot guide in the middle of a reading, no matter how advanced you are in divination. It’s okay, even, to go to more than one guide if you’re not sure that the first one’s description was accurate to the context. Tarot is all about following your intuition and doing what you feel it’s right.

[butteredgoblin]

[butteredgoblin]

october was bittersweet

full of challenges

endings and new beginnings

acknowledgement of trauma and pain

hope for the future

and crippling self doubt

but i gripped the torch she gave me

and beamed light onto the pathways of the unknown

samhain allowed me to banish the imposter syndrome and accept my path for where it is

full of potential, and i am embracing it

and i will with pride with Her by my side

#witchblr #witchcraft #hecate #hekate #samhain #witchy #witchcore #witch aesthetic #it’s been a tough one #but i’m getting there

[butteredgoblin]

Witchcraft Exercises

Just a quick compilation of the posts I've made about exercises to help improve your craft. These can be used as journaling prompts, inspiration for activities, or as methods for pulling yourself out of a slump and recharging your witchy inspiration.

Witchcraft Exercise - Quantifying Your Craft

Witchcraft Exercise - Dig Through The Ditches

Witchcraft Exercise - The Book of Lessons

Witchcraft Exercise - Home Brews

Witchcraft Exercise - Witchy Inspo Journal

Witchcraft Exercise - Spring Cleaning

Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Correspondences

Witchcraft Exercise - Creating Your Own Runes

Witchcraft Exercise - Shakespearean Witchcraft

Witchcraft Exercise - Music To Witch By

Related Prompt - Music to Witch By

Most of these are also available in the May 2021 bonus episode of Hex Positive (check your favorite podcatcher).

Happy Witching!

(If you’re enjoying my content, please feel free to drop a little something in the tip jar or check out my published works on Amazon or in the Willow Wings Witch Shop. 😊)